Rebecca Haag elected as next select board member
With heavy voter turnout in Chilmark and the final count of votes in just before midnight, Rebecca Haag was confirmed as the select board member for the next three years, with just over 60 percent of the total vote, beating the write-in candidate Katherine Carroll. From noon to night on Wednesday, more than 600 Islanders…
Tisbury denies short-term rental cap removal
After heated debate, voters in Tisbury decided to keep a 75-night cap on short-term rentals after failing to meet a two-thirds majority vote on town meeting floor. The town of Tisbury held its annual and special town meetings on Tuesday at the gymnasium at the elementary school. While more than 150 voters were able to…
Governor candidate to host meet and greet on Island
A candidate for Massachusetts governor with Island ties is hosting a meet and greet on Tuesday, May 5, to connect with voters about key issues. Andrea James, who is running as an independent, will discuss the rising cost of living, housing, and the unique challenges that Islanders face at the Oak Bluffs library on Tuesday…
Polly Hill finds a new director
Ian Tucker Peach has been named new executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum, succeeding longtime leader Timothy M. Boland, who is retiring this summer, a press release from the organization’s board of directors announced on Wednesday. Peach, who lives on Chappaquiddick in Edgartown, is currently director of design for Wilkinson Ecological Design, a New…
Compost, override passed in Chilmark
Updated April 28. Citizens’ petitions were the talk of Chilmark residents at their annual town meeting, from compost initiatives to a stand against federal surveillance. Voters filed into the local community center on Monday evening as the sun was setting behind them. Quite a few of the warrant articles they were to decide on had…
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Environment
Basic hunter education course wraps up
The Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club hosted three sessions on basic hunter education this month and gathered potential new hunters to learn about hunter safety, tribal hunting techniques, and tick prevention. The class brought together 18 people interested in the sport, four of whom were under the age of 18, and concluded on the…
Health
Martha’s Vineyard Medical to launch Tick Center
A new medical initiative plans to expand care, especially through holistic approaches, to serve Islanders who experience health issues caused by ticks. Martha’s Vineyard Medical announced Tuesday that the practice will open the Tick Center, a specialty center for patients who suffer from tick-borne illnesses and alpha-gal syndrome, in May. The aim of the center…
Housing
Christian camp housing proposal pushed to MVC
A special permit request for a residential home to become workplace housing for a Christian summer camp has been moved to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) for further evaluation. The permit was submitted to the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals in March by the Fellowship of Christian Universities and Schools (FOCUS), an organization that…
Education
High school building costs for year-rounders sharpen into focus
Updated April 21. A new tool for calculating an individual homeowner’s tax increase from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) building project went live last Friday, clarifying how each town’s differing policies impact the cost burden on year-round residents. The Times published the first look at tax burdens for all property owners in March…
Politics
Tisbury voters back expanding select board, overrides
Tisbury voters passed a hefty budgetary override and approved expansion of its select board, bringing to a close their 2026 annual town meeting just before 11 pm Wednesday after two nights. In another late night of deliberating town warrant articles, over 115 voters returned to the Tisbury School gymnasium to cast their votes. Article 41,…
Cops and Courts
Island resident sentenced in rape case; one detained by ICE
Two Brazilian nationals accused of child rape were convicted on Tuesday, April 7 at a Dukes County Superior Court hearing at the Edgartown Courthouse. One defendant, whose child rape charge was dismissed but was convicted on a lesser charge, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as she left the…
Immigration
Island family stranded in Canada after visa renewal denial
Updated April 17. An Island family, stranded in Canada for the past six weeks due to a denied visa renewal following a family ski trip, has been forced to seek documentation in order to try to return home. The family’s status continues to remain uncertain after federal border officials rejected Michael Freeze’s work visa renewal…
